Saint Catherine's Monastery- Travel Tips
What to See, How to Plan & Tours- Religious Beliefs
- 5 Reviews
Reviews of Saint Catherine's Monastery
bogdan alexandru bola - 5
The world's oldest continuously inhabited Christian monastery tells the tale of the whole world, not only christians. The monastery was built by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I, enclosing what is claimed to be the burning bush seen by Moses. Centuries later, the believed body of Saint Catherine of Alexandria, was taken to the monastery. Ages of history and religion, all in one place. This is a must!
zamri idris - 5
Visited this Monastery after we completed Moses Mountain hike. The building is truly unique and historical. Located at foothill of Moses Mountain. Amaze upon seeing the burning bush 3000 years old tree. Also the Moses well, you can drink the water too. There is a mosque inside too but not in use. Many old manuscript too. Plenty olive trees surrounding the compound.
Basma ELHassan - 5
Heritage and regional place. Holy monastery open from 9:00 till 11:00 AM. It is easy hike. You will find a lot of guides, and shops. Cars not allowed to enter to all destinations. Thereof you will find internal cars if cannot walk to Monastery. It has a special story in Quran
Marina Logan - 5
A truly magical and humbling experience. The center for all three monotheistic religions, the oldest continuously functioning monastery in the world. Note: The monastery is only open to visitors in the morning from 8:30 to 11:00. If you want to climb the mountain, you'll need to get a local guide and don't forget to bring your passport.
Yuliya Nepokulchitskaya - 5
We contacted the organizer through WhatsApp and got a quick response. We booked several tours, and the organizer considered all our wishes, offering the best options. Big thanks for the list of things to prepare for the trip! The bus and guide arrived at the hotel on time. We made a few stops along the way — to drink water, have a snack, and rest. We reached the mountain’s base after midnight, where a local Bedouin met us and guided us to the top of Mount Sinai, with short stops along the way. At night, at over 2000 meters high, it’s very cold, so keep that in mind. Even though I came prepared (I had a hat, down vest, and gloves), I still needed to rent a blanket for 3 euros. By the way, you can pay in dollars, euros, or local currency. Climbing the mountain was an amazing experience, full of joy and pride. The mountain views were stunning, though it was sad to see so much litter — a reminder of how important it is to respect nature. The monastery was open, and our Russian-speaking guide shared lots of interesting information you can’t find online. Pilgrims and visitors can leave notes at the icon of Saint Catherine and donations for the monastery. It’s worth mentioning that tips are expected everywhere — a dollar or two for any service. It’s just the way things work here (even in the airport, they expected a tip when replacing toilet paper). The tour ended around 10 a.m. When everyone was back on the bus, we headed to Sharm El Sheikh. The guide kindly offered us croissants and water. We got back to the hotel around 1 p.m., just in time for lunch. We were very happy with this tour and will definitely recommend it to our friends!
